Beauty Through Cancer is a charitable 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. We have an amazing board of directors, and great community support. Although we are new in the community, we are not new to the needs of women. We have a strong volunteer support staff which continues to grow.
Our office is located in a centrally located medical office complex at 131 McDowell St, near Mission Hospital and many physicians and cancer centers.
Transparancy is very important at Beauty Through Cancer so feel free to ask as many questions as you feel are necessary.
Our Board of Directors page lists the occupations and contact information for our board should you have any questions.
If you are interested in volunteering or financially supporting our organization we make it convenient here on our website to gather information. Feel free to call the office for an appointment to tour our facility or to have a private meeting with Ms Bennett, Founder and President of Beauty Through Cancer.
"Beauty Through Cancer" began with the vision of founder, Earleen Bennett. Ms. Bennett has been in the beauty industry for over 28 years. She lost her mother to Lymphoma at age of 17. I guess you could say cancer has been on her mind her entire life.
As a nail technician and a salon and spa owner, over the years Earleen has worked very closly with women and has a special understanding of their needs. Being in the beauty industry is much like being a therapist, you hear people's deepest secrets, desires and fears, all day, every day. Earleen retired from the spa business in June 2008.
For the last several years Earleen has owned Asheville Permanent Makeup Clinic in addition to her nail business. She specializes in cosmetic tattooing. Through this business she offers a special service to breast cancer reconstruction patients, Areola restoration tattooing. She does not charge her clients for this service.
As Earleen talked with her clients about their stories and history with cancer, she felt there was something missing. Many women felt alone and wished they had more support, especially those without close family or romantic relationships. They felt they needed a support group that was more focused on breast reconstruction. Almost every woman said the first fear, after the shock of hearing she had cancer and what she was up against, was losing her hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, basically losing her appearance.
As her way of helping, Earleen decided to volunteer with the American Cancer Society's "Look Good-Feel Better" program. Since she was not a licensed cosmetologist, she had to work in an administrative role, so she became the volunteer coordinator for Buncombe County. She was amazed at how this program lifted the spirits of the woman who participated. This class is for women "in treatment" for cancer, such as chemotherapy or radiation which negatively effects their appearance while going through treatment.
This is where she got the idea to take it to the next level and have a program that offered makeovers to cancer survivors, but with the products they already owned, a " Bring Your Own Makeup Bag" makeover. Then the ideas just kept coming for support groups and education and pretty soon "Beauty Through Cancer" was no longer just a thought.
Over the next few months Earleen worked hard to develop the programs and the basic concept that you will read about in the following pages. Earleen Bennett has always turned to the memory and love of her mother as the inspiration that drives her in developing her businesses.
Beauty Through Cancer is the culmination of all those years of learning, both from her mother before she died, and from every woman who has sat across the table, been her friend, touched her heart and inspired her for the past 46 years.
